The Human Rights Centre was established within the University of Padova in 1982 as a laboratory for multidisciplinary research and post-graduate education and training in the field of human rights. Thanks to the initiative of the Centre, the University of Padova can now offer a complete 3+2+3 (bachelor, master, PhD) specialised human rights training to students aiming to become human rights experts. The Centre contributes to the management of the Degree Course in Political Science, International Relations, Human Rights, the MA Degree Programme in Human Rights and Multi-level Governance, and the international joint PhD programme in Human Rights, Society, and Multi-level Governance. Between 1997 and 2003, the Centre also launched and coordinated the European Master Degree in Human Rights and Democratisation (41 European universities awarding a joint Master’s degree, funded by the EU). The Centre hosts the UNESCO Chair “Human rights, democracy and peace” of the University of Padova, the Jean Monnet European Centre of Excellence “Intercultural dialogue, human rights and multi-level governance”. The Centre edits the Italian Yearbook of Human Rights and manages a rich data-base entitled “Peace Human Rights Archives”, which functions on the basis of a Veneto Regional law on human rights and peace. During its decades-long experience, the Centre has also developed strong network relations with academic institutions, public authorities at the local, national and European levels, NGOs and schools. Several graduates of the Centre are now competent officers within international organisations engaged in human rights protection (United Nations in Geneva, European Commission, the EU Council’s COHOM) as well as programme managers in renowned international NGOs (PLAN, Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, Amnesty International, Save the Children).